Kumbaya: ACLU Spokesman, NRA Agree On Background Checks

The American Civil Liberties Union has some serious issues with President Obama’s attempt to institute so-called “universal background checks” on gun owners in America. Chris Calabrese, legislative counsel for privacy-related issues in the ACLU’s Washington Legislative Office joined me and co-host Brian Wilson this morning on “Mornings on the Mall” on Washington DC’s WMAL-FM.

“If you’re going to be a background check, it should be effective. What we’ve said is the record keeping for the checks has to be privacy friendly and civil liberties neutral,” Calabrese said echoing the basic position articulated earlier this week from David Keene, President of the National Rifle Association.

On April 3rd Keene also joined us on the same program and when asked about the efficacy of a so-called “universal background check” as envisioned by President Obama and the Senate Democrats, Keene said, “We support the background check system, the so-called NICS check system that was instituted in this country in the 90s…” Keene went on to express concerns over the check system and it’s false positives as well as privacy concerns.

It’s not often two groups like the ACLU and the NRA have a “Kumbaya” moment like this. Perhaps, in a way, President Obama truly is uniting the nation… just not in the way he intended.